What is your opinion of your nation’s leaders? Do you think it matters? Have you become indifferent? Do you pray for them? Don’t you think you should? What would you include in a prayer for them? Would pray they turn to God? Would you pray that God would guide them?
Praying for our leaders may feel odd to us at first. However, if we want to see God working in our nation, we need to pray for our leaders at all levels. We need to pray that God guide them and that they turn to God for guidance. God can and will do amazing things.
In today’s passage, the Psalmist is the king of Israel. Yet, this Psalm is viewed as having a dual intention. Yes, the Psalmist is praying for the king but is also prophesying the coming of the Messiah. It is common for prophesies of the Old Testament prophets to have dual meanings. Often there was a short-term meaning and a long-term meaning.
The seventy-second Psalm is credited to Solomon. He may have been praying for himself in this Psalm or perhaps his son who would take the throne. At the same time, he is prophesying of the coming Messiah. Solomon, regarded as the wisest man to live, had his faults. He needed God to guide him to rule Israel wisely. Still, he made mistakes.
Our leaders are human. They make mistakes. They need God’s guidance to rule justly. They need God’s wisdom to make wise decisions. They need God to be with them every moment of every day. That is where our prayers come in. As we pray for God to open their hearts and minds to him and pray that God be their guide, we will see God working in them.
I pray we all decide to pray for our nation’s leaders. I pray we pray for our leaders at all levels. I pray each one of us will follow the example of Solomon and pray for righteousness and justice. Pray for our nation’s leaders. Pray for all leaders. As God to guide them. Pray they rule with righteousness. Pray they rule justly.
Psalm 72:1-2
Give the king your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice.
Marty Pressey 